Council member Fajkus to not re-file for open seat

Tony Fajkus, serving his first term currently, said Monday he was not pursuing re-election

Taylor Muller

Kirksville Mayor Pro Tem Tony Fajkus will not be pursuing re-election, the Council member announced

Monday, opening the door for at least one new face on the Council come this spring’s municipal election with Mayor Richard Detweiler filing for candidacy also on Monday.

Fajkus said he has “too much going on” with work and family, citing a wish that whomever replaces him will be able to devote more time to governing the city.

Fajkus’ announcement also came on the same day Detweiler filed for candidacy, putting himself up for his second full term on the Council.

According to city staff, Kirksville residents Kevin A. Alm and Brandon Athon have also filed for the two Council seats that will be decided by April’s municipal election.

Filing remains open at City Hall through Jan. 15, 2013 at 5 p.m.

In other Council news, the city is moving forward with the design phase of its waste water treatment plant overhaul. Council unanimously approved an agreement allowing contractor HDR Engineering to begin drafting the overall design documents for the about $18 million overhaul. HDR is allowed design expenses up to $1.28 million, with the city budgeting about $1.3 million from its 2013 Utility Fund.

“This carries us completely through the design phase,” Public Works Director John Buckwalter told the Council Monday.

The plan will lay out the upgrades necessary at the city’s waste water plant to bring it under permitted capacity and output requirements as mandated by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Buckwalter said the plan will take 240 days until completion and then an additional 90 days for the Missouri DNR to review with the goal of having an approved design plan in early 2014.

“This will make it ready to bid,” Buckwalter said.

Council also gave Buckwalter unanimous approval to purchase a used 2006 Altec Bucket Truck from Altec NUECO for $59,400 for use by the city in tree maintenance and any other overhead projects.Buckwalter said the city’s current bucket truck is more than 20 years old and in need of replacing.

Council also approved its new labor union agreement with the Laborer’s International Union of North America Local #773. Changes to the agreement include the decision that sick leave will no longer count toward hours worked for overtime purposes, the city will no longer pay for replacement jeans with the agreed-upon uniform allowance sufficient and employees with the union must schedule half of their annual vacation leave prior to the first day of January. With the negotiations, the city is aiming to decrease its overtime hours in the Public Works division.

Meeting glanceCouncil unanimously approved the 2013 budget, which calls for $33.2 million in expenses and about $24.3 million in revenue with the significant difference attributed to capital projects and bond funds not accounted for on the revenue side.